Episode 103: Ethics, Morality, and America with Ojo Taylor

In April of 2017 I had a long conversation about my journey out of Christianity with Steve Hackman that ended up in two installments of his fantastic podcast series, Beyond the Pale. We recently had a follow-up conversation that went beyond those basics – pretty far beyond.

Balance of Power on Vinyl – A Story

We are just over a week away from the close of a Kickstarter campaign to reissue Balance of Power on vinyl and other formats, and LOTS of bonus material. Whether we make the goal or not, I wanted to make this brief history of the bonus material available. Thanks for reading and your support!

The songs and recordings that are being offered as bonus material on the re-issue of Undercover’s Balance of Power album (if we make the goal) have shown up in various ways, in different formats and arrangements and even by different bands. What follows is a brief history of those recordings and how and where they ended up where they did, as best I can remember. I’m pretty sure we have never written or publicly talked about parts of this history, so here goes.

Farewell, Dave Gibson

Tattooing and the human race lost a giant today in Dave Gibson who died unexpectedly only 7 months after losing the love of his life, Debbie, his wife of 28 years. He had just returned from Catalina island where he was spreading Debbie’s ashes. His loss will be felt much wider than those he inked.

My Mailbag: Christ, Liberation & Happiness

Ojo: I have a couple questions. In your search to be free and happy where does the person of Christ stand and His cross, His death and resurrection. This was not covered in your blog.

Conversations on Hell

Herrad of Landsberg (Alsatian, c. 1130 – 1195): Hell, from Hortus Deliciarum

It’s very clear that the afterlife and what it may look like means many different things to many different believers. Some have worked through the immorality that comes with belief in hell and the many other problems associated with it

“Ojo Taylor Returns”: Interview #2 in Down The Line

One of the most widely-read posts on my little site is the first interview I did for Down The Line magazine in 2010 where I publicly discussed not being able to accept the tenets of any version of Christianity any longer.  In 2017 I was approached by Doug Peterson to do a follow-up interview, published in July, 2017.  Here is that interview. 

The Bitter Truth Podcast

I had this really fun discussion with longtime friend and musical troublemaker Abe Abdelhadi, wherein we liken leaving religion to death by a thousand paper cuts while increasing compassion for those we strongly disagree with.  We also consider the critically important ways to sprinkle correctly pigeon blood while asking, “This is the book we get?!” 

My Last Interview Before Coming Out

MySpace was still a thing in July, 2009 when I received a request for an online interview.  I was in a very strange and transitional place.  My Christian house of cards had suddenly fallen and I had just realized that I could no longer consider myself a believer in any meaningful sense although I still had questions; lots of questions. I had told nobody about my current thinking. 

My Mailbag: Come Away With Me

In which I am alleged to have pissed all over someone’s life-sustaining memories. 

My Mailbag: Am I an Evangelist?

I get questions quite often wondering in some sense or another if I have traded in one religion for another, if dismissal of unfounded beliefs is not itself a type of religion.